Episode 1322 Talkback: Top 5 Justice Leaguers
Pants
Posts: 567
Time for another Top 5 list, this time on members of the Justice League. It's Leaguetastic! (1:21:49)
Listen here.
Listen here.
Comments
But if I were to pick my five favorites, apart from the founding members, I would choose...
Red Tornado
Zatanna
Blue Beetle
Phantom Stranger
Snapper Carr
And, given how many members the various incarnations of the JLA has had over the decades... that was a difficult pick!
Zatanna
Hawkman (Katar Hol)/Hawkwoman (Shayera Hol)
Red Tornado
Black Canary
Green Arrow
...and basically any mix-and-match from the remaining membership of that time.
I like all the Black Canary discussion. However, I really liked how she was used in JSA. I was sad to see her leave to go to that resurrected title.
I liked Matt's inclusion of Vigilante and Shining Knight. JL Unlimited was a fun ride.
My top 5 in no particular order
Power Girl - She was handled very well in JL Europe. From her pissy attitude, to crazy cat, to Bart Sears drawing her bust bigger every month.
Metamorpho - Again, because of JL Europe.
Plastic Man - Joe Kelly used him beautifully. Going toe to toe with John in Trial by Fire was very cool. And, who wouldn't want to be Big Barda's dress?
The Atom - because the tiny floating chair is cool.
Green Lantern, Kyle Rayner - The character was our "in" during Morrison's run on JLA. I especially liked his interactions with Batman.
Rima
El Dorado
Samurai
Black Vulcan
Apache Chief
Just as I had to consider the Avengers apart from Cap, Thor, and Iron Man, I had to consider the JLA apart from Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. They're so iconic I have a hard time thinking of them in any context apart from their own individual ones.
Also, I'm totally counting the Justice League and Justice League Unlimited cartoons as viable options to pick from.
1. The Dibnys. Sure, Ralph was the official member of the League and more directly involved in their adventures, but Sue was often there, too, especially in the BWA-HA-HA era, and certainly more so than any of the other League spouses except for maybe (arguably?) Shayera. Their treatment in the past decade and lack of presence in the New 52 universe really bothers me and kinda sums up all my problems with DC for the past 5-10 years. A DCU without room for characters like Ralph and Sue (or the roles they play) isn't a DCU I want to read about.
2. Blue Beetle. Yes, he was funny in the BWA-HA-HA days, and his antics with Booster were always entertaining, but he was also a great hand-to-hand combatant and a brilliant inventor, two factors I think get overlooked far too often. I'm always a fan of the wisecracking gadget guy, and Ted Kord was one of the best representatives of that archetype around, this awesome midpoint between Batman and Spider-Man.
3. Zatanna - Strong female character, cool (if a bit deus ex machina-y) power set expressed in a cool manner, looks good in fishnet stockings. Yes, please. I'll take two.
4. Hawkgirl (from the Justice League / JLU cartoon) - Simple concept (woman with wings hits things with mace), cool visual (both in costume and even just in her yellow Game of Death/Kill Bill jumpsuit), interesting story of love, betrayal, and eventual redemption. Probably my favorite character from that entire TV series (and considering how many appeared on that show, that's saying something.
5. Tomorrow Woman - Only a Leaguer for like, what, one story? But it's an awesome story, taking Red Tornado's whole "android made by a villain who rises above her programming to be a true hero" and making it, you know, actually interesting.
Honorable mention - The Question from JLU. Vic Sage as Randian objectivist absolutist is interesting, but as a superheroic Fox Mulder he's fascinating.
Black canary
Red tornado
Blue beetle
Booster gold
Jusice league of the rainbow...
1. Green Arrow — the conscience of the team.
2. The Atom — the scientist of the team.
3. Hawkman and Hawkwoman (they work best as a pair)— the space travellers of the team.
4. Black Canary — the fishnets of the team.
5. Elongated Man — the wiggling nose of the team.
5. Firestorm He sums up the satellite era for me.
4. Zauriel I'll give this to Grant Morrison. He mad me care for this character. The concept is somewhat odd, but it works.
3. Metamorpho He was the lovable grouch.
2. Zatanna or Doctor Fate Either one works for me.
1. Red Tornado I'm always had a soft spot in my heart for the androids.
2.Firestorm
3.Powergirl
4.Plastic Man
5.Green Arrow
2. Huntress
3. Resurrection Man
4. Blue Devil
5. Kyle Rayner / Green Lantern (I know GL is one of the "regulars" but I always liked Kyle as a JLA-er)
Antaeus
Tomorrow Woman
Sargon The Sorcerer (hon member)
Golden Eagle (hon member)
Raven Manitou
(I could easily slip into the five most forgettable JLA members, but that would almost be entirely taken up by the James Robinson era, and I really don't want to start getting snarky.)
Zatanna
Green Arrow
Power Girl
Blue Beetle
Similarly, I still consider Songbird an Avenger because she was one in Avengers Forever.
1) Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)
2) The Flash (Wally West)
3) Batman
4) Superman
5) Green Arrow
If I was to exclude the big 7 that I think we all know who they are, then my list would be:
1) Green Arrow
2) The Atom
3) Zatanna
4) Black Canary
5) Booster Gold
Wonder Woman (leader)
Zatanna (magic specialist)
Black Canary (cuz she just wowed me when she came over from Earth 2 in issue...75 and that Brave and the Bold issue (91) with Batman drawn by Nick Cardy,
Hawkgirl/woman: the flyer and strategist
Vixen: because a Lt. Uhura is needed. Heh-heh...
Wow, what a volatile team...
Just listened! Wow, Matt: Oracle! Brilliant Choice!
Adam, I was actually referring to Green Arrow's personality referencing the JLU. When I noted he needed the hood, that was how I prefer his look.
M.
- Red Tornado
- Vera Lynn Black
- Green Lantern (John Stewart)
- Firestorm
- Zatanna
In no particular order:
-Martian Manhunter
-Vixen (JLU animated)
-Rocket Red
-Hawkman
-Plastic Man
The series were plotted and laid out by Keith Giffen and dialogued by J M DeMatteis. Kevin Maguire did the art for the first couple of years and was then initially replaced by Ty Templeton. Bart Sears did the art for JLE.
Initially, the series was very funny and quite a breath of fresh air, especially after the original JLA series had run itself into the ground with a boring round of stories at the tail end of its 'Justice League Detroit' era. But, in my opinion, the new series ran out of steam after the first couple of years, around the time that Maguire left, and it became predictable and the humor strained. I know I was ready for a return to the more-or-less straight adventures the JLA used to have a couple of years before the series hit the Breakdowns storyline.
If you go for the back issues, be sure you also pick up Suicide Squad (1st series) #13, which is a cross-over with JLI #13.
For the real completist, there's also The Weird, a three issue mini-series by Jim Starlin and Berni Wrightson that prominently features the JLI. It's not quite the light touch the JLI book is, but... hey, it's Jim Starlin and Berni Wrightson.
- Kyle Rayner: I loved his relationship with J'onn.
- The Atom
- Hawkwoman
- JLU-version of The Question